Automatic firearm with sliding barrel and locked breech



F. HERLACH 1,770,135

AUTOHATIC FIREARM WITH SLIDING BARREL AND LOCKED BREECH July 8, 1930.

. Filed Oct. 23, 1929 v a: w Nw w 8 N wm pasta July 8, 1930 UNITED? STATES PATENT? OFFICE FRITZ HERLACE, OF DUSSELIDORF, GERMANY, .ASSIGNOR v'JI'O RHEINISCHE METALL- WAAREN- UND. MASCHINENFABRIK, OFDUSSELDORF, GERMANY, A CORPORATION 01 GERMANY AUTOMATIC FIREARM WITH SLIDING BARREL AND LOCKED BREEOH Application filed October 23, 1929, Serial No.

In a particular type of breech piece with rotary ribs for automatic firearms with sliding barrel, the breech piece consists of a body portion guided rectilinearly in the casing of the weapon, and with a rotatable head por tion carrying the devices looking it with the barrel, the head portion being rotated by means of a torsion spring into the locking position. The breech is unlocked during the recoil of the barrel by a cam on the head of the breech piece, which in co-operation with a circularly formed guiding groove on a fixed portion of the weapon, for example on the casing, rotates it into the unlocked position relatively to the body portion of the breech piece, at the same time stressing the torsion spring. The head portion of the breech retains this position until the end of theforward movement of the breech piece, when the latter is again released by the torsion spring which is kept in the stressed position along the guiding groove and rotates the head portion and locks it with the barrel.

This device has, however, the drawback that the guiding members of the two part breech piece, after the breech has been unlocked during the whole further forward and backward movement, are pressed by the stressed torsion spring against the guides on the casin of the weapon. Considerable additional rictional resistances are thus produced which retard the movement of the breech piece and thereby reduce the rapidity of firing.

The invention obviated this drawback by the provision of a locking device between the two parts of the breech piece, which, after the head portion of the breech has been unlocked spring has been stressed, is automatically inserted and prevents any relative rotation between the two parts'of the breech and the spring from exerting any outward force.

\ The guiding members of the breech piece during the further succeeding backward and forward movements can now slide unhindered in the guiding groove of the casing without being stressed by the spring. Only when the breech piece has moved into its front end posi- 69 n s the l king eleased under he cen l 401,867, and in Germany September 21, 1928.

of a stationary portionoi' the weapon; the spring can now rotate the head portion of the breech into the locking position with-the barrel. Besides the increase of the rapidity o4 firing in consequence of the reduction of the frictional resistance, the invention enables a simpler construction of the guiding groove in the casing of the Weapon to be obtained. The groove need not then have the circular form which is difiicult to manufacture. It is sufiicient to provide a simple recess in the casing with a single inclined surface for unlocking the head of the breech, so that the controlling switch necessary in the previously known guiding groove-is also no longer required.

An example of a construction according to to the invention isshown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the still unlocked breech parts shortly before the end of its forward movement.

Figure 2 is a cross-section through the breech seen in the direction A-A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a'lcross-section seen in the direction B-B.

Figure 4 is a section on the line CC of. Figure 2.

The barrel a mounted so as to be longitudi nally displaceable in the casing b of the'weap- .30 on, can be locked with the two part breech piece 0 0 by a bayonet joint. The breech consists of a body portion 0 guided rectilinearly in the casing b of the weapon, and a head portion 0 carrying locking ribs 0 and rotatable relatively to the part 0 Both-parts 0 and 0 are secured by a bayonet joint 0 t t' -fr from the barrel therefore after the I agains separa ion om the barrel during the relative rotation, taking place in the normal manner in the course of the firing period, but which separation occurs later against the action or with the aid of a torsion spring 6 inserted between the two parts. .An arm 0 arranged on the part 0 serving also as a hand grip, projects outwardly through a recessof the casing b of the firearm. A bolt e displaceable to a limited extent' in the arm 0,, is disposed opposite to the front surface of the recess of the casing 12 and cooperates in a 199 nanner described further later with a lock- .ng bolt projecting out of the part 0 In the description of the action, it is as- ;umed that the gun has just been fired. By :he recoil of the powder gases, the breech, at which the head 0 takes up the position shown dotted in Figure 2 and is locked with the barrel 0: is at first impelled rearwards with the barrel until the arm 0 encounters an inclined surface b of the recess of the :asing b. The part 0 is thereby rotated relatively to the rectilinearly controlled part 0 whereby the breech c a is unlocked from the barrel a and the locking spring 6 is stressed. During the last part of the rotation imparted to the part 0,, an inclined surface 0 (Figure 4 formed in the arm 0 encounters a locking olt 0-, projecting, under the action of a spring, from the part 0 and presses it back, until, when the breech has been completely unlocked, the bolts 0 c of the two parts 0 c of the breech come into register, and the bolt 0 enters the arm 0 thereby displacing the bolt 0 to some extent forward. The whole force of the locking spring 6 is now confined to the locked parts 0 c of the breech. On the further rearward and later forward movement of the breech piece, for the purpose of discharging the fired cartridge and for introducing1 a new cartridge, the guiding members of t e two parts 0 c of the breech are not subjected to the action of the spring 6. Shortly before the breech piece reaches its front end position (Figurel) the bolt 0 is forced back by engaging with the front surface of the recess of the casing b and thereby displaces the bolt 0 rearwards from the part 0 so that the means previously preventing the relative rotation of the two parts 0 c of the breech'are again removed. The spring e is released and rotates the part 0 into its former position in which it was locked to the barrel.

I claim:

1.. Automatic firearm with a sliding barrel .andtwo part breech piece comprising in com; bination a body portion of said breech piece guided rectilinearly in the casing of said weapon, a head portion of said breech piece, a torsion spring inserted intermediately and controlling the rotation of said head portion of said breech piece, lockin means intermediate the two parts of t e said breech piece, which are automatically inserted on the recoil of the said breech piece, after the said-head portion has been rotated and unlocked from the barrel of the weapon against the resistance of the said spring.

2. Automatic firearm with a sliding barrel and two part breech piece comprising in combination a body portion of said breech piece guided rectilinearly in the casing of said weapon, a head portion of said breech piece, a torsion spring inserted intermediatel and controlling the rotation of the said head portion of said breech piece, locking means intermediate the two parts of the said breech piece,

which are automatically inserted on the recoil of the said breech piece after the said headportion has been rotated and unlocked from the barrel of the weapon against the resistance of the said spring, said lockin means connecting the two parts of the breec piece against relative rotation, which locking means 1s again automatically ejected.

3. Automatic firearm with a sliding barrel and two part breech piece comprising in combination a body portion of said breech piece, means for rectilinearly guiding said reech piece" in the casing of said weapon, a head portion of said breech iece, a torsion spring inserted intermediate y and controlling the rotation of the said head portion of the said breech piece, lockin means intermediate the two parts of the said breech piece, which are automatically inserted on the recoil of the said breech piece after the said head portion has been rotated and unlocked from the barrel of the weapon against the resistance of the said spring, said lockin means connecting the two parts of the breec piece against relative rotation, means for automatically ejecting said locking means and means for returning the head portion of the breech piece into the osition in which it is again locked with the arrel.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

FRITZ HERIJACH. 

